


Vicuña

by neverminetohold



Series: Heart-Strings [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood, Family, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Non-Sexual Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21872977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverminetohold/pseuds/neverminetohold
Summary: Returning home, Doflamingo meets the baby brother he never wanted or asked for. He's not impressed - at first.
Relationships: Donquixote Doflamingo & Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante
Series: Heart-Strings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575781
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	Vicuña

Doflamingo listened to the fading doorbell, tapping his foot on the crunching gravel. One minute. His stomach clenched. Two minutes. Still nothing. The veins on his forehead bulged and throbbed. Finally, quick footsteps could be heard from inside the Donquixote mansion and the door swung open.

"What took you so long?!" Doflamingo snapped at the slave in maid uniform before turning towards the men clustered behind him. "And you lot! Get my things unpacked!"

His entourage of three slaves, each weighed down with luggage, jumped to obey his command. They hurried off in the direction of his private quarters, probably relieved to get out of his sight.

"Well?!"

The slave remained silent, though with her eyes downcast and knees and hands shaking, she didn't strike Doflamingo as the insolent type. She must have been a recent addition to the household. Not that he cared for slaves, but it was common sense for a Celestial Dragon to know his possessions and their worth down to the last beri.

"I've asked you a question!"

Doflamingo raised his hand to slap her. She flinched and her mouse-brown hair shifted, revealing a puckered, angry red scar that covered the base of her throat.

"Tsk!" He let his arm drop to his side. "From now on let someone else answer the door."

Doflamingo strode into the vestibule with a scoff. With her vocal cords removed such a plain girl had little to no value. Another 'charity case', as grandfather would have called it. _Father must have stepped in before they put her down. What a waste of money!_

Why Homing would save a slave like that was beyond him, but Doflamingo had more important things to worry about. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and his sunglasses, then rushed up the stairs to the master bedroom.

The ugly old slave his mother favored opened the door as Doflamingo rounded the corner. He slowed his pace, not wanting to seem too eager. The bed in the center of the room was framed by piles of fragrant bouquets, presents, and handwritten cards. A huge blue teddy bear had pride of place by the window, right beside an empty cradle.

"Doffy! I'm so happy that you're here."

Amelia was pale and there were new lines around her kind eyes, but her smile was radiant. She was sitting up in bed, dressed in a gown, her back supported by pillows - and holding a kicking, mewling bundle in her arms.

"Mother," Doflamingo said, a little breathless as the churning in his stomach eased up. _She looks... good. Healthy. Happy. Did I worry for nothing?_

The morning he had been sent away to live at his grandfather's estate had been the first time he had seen his mother sick. There had been something disturbing about having to say goodbye to her. Doflamingo curled his fingers into fists. _I don't want to feel like that ever again._

"Doffy? Is something wrong?" Amelia asked as she carefully shifted to the edge of the bed. "Don't you want to meet your little brother?"

_Not really._ Doflamingo would never disappoint his mother like that, though, so he feigned enthusiasm: "Of course!"

Doflamingo strode closer to the bed for a better view but kept his distance. Huge brown eyes in a round face with button nose and pouting lips squinted up at him. The baby was tiny, chubby, and had only a thin fuzz of blond hair on its head.

Doflamingo was not impressed. In his experience from visits to friends and family gatherings small children were a nuisance and completely useless - all they did was eat and sleep. Worse, they were scared of him. If he got too close they started to cry and scream their heads off. Doflamingo doubted that this sibling he had never even asked for would be any different.

"His name is Rocinante," Amelia said. "Do you want to hold him?"

"What?!" Doflamingo stumbled a step back. He caught himself, face flaming hot - and tripped over a present that must have slipped from its pile.

"Doffy, be careful!"

He reached out blindly, desperate to avoid landing on the bed. One hand braced on his mother's shoulder, her startled gasp ringing in his right ear, Doflamingo found himself just inches away from Rocinante's scrunched up face.

_Here we go._

But his baby brother didn't scream. Instead, sticky fingers brushed his cheek and grabbed his sunglasses. Doflamingo reared back, blinking away tears at the sudden, harsh glare of unfiltered light.

"Doffy, are you alright?" Amelia asked, carefully liberating his sunglasses and holding them out to him. "He didn't mean to hurt you."

Doflamingo took them but didn't answer. His vision was a watery blur, but there was no mistaking it. Rocinante was smiling at him. It looked goofy, with his toothless mouth wide open and spit dribbling down his chin, but it was a happy, brilliant smile.

That was simply not how strangers reacted when they got a glimpse of his eyes. _Maybe having a little brother won't be so bad._

"Doffy?"

"I'm fine, Mother." Doflamingo checked the frame for wet spots; finding none, he put his glasses back on. "I know he didn't mean to." He shrugged. "He's just a baby."

"That's right. But he'll grow fast." Amelia's bright expression turned more serious. "Doffy, take good care of him."

Sensing how important this was to her, Doflamingo gave her a solemn nod. "I promise."


End file.
